Adjustable chair



-C. A. LEE.

ADJUSTABLE. CHAIR. I

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 16. 1915.

1,335,379. I Patented M30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- &

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS un/4d) 25m.

C. A. LEE.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16; 1915- 1,335,379. Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z Z J 10 Z I H &

INVENTOR WITNESSES: I

ATTORNEYS nnrra earns PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. LEE, OF ONEIDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WILBERT L. SMITH, OF

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Application filed July 16, 1915. Serial No. 40,226.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I CHAnLEs A. LEE, a citizen of the United btates, and aresident of Oneida, in the county of Madison and State of New York, haveinvented. a certain new and useful Adjustable Chair, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to chairs having adjustable backs and seats, andhas for its object a particularly simple and eificient constructionwhereb the'back and the seat can be adjusted to different relations andheld in their adjusted positions, and the invention consists in thenovel combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a sectional view through 'a chair showing the seat as in itsnormal position and the back as in its upright position, the back andseat being shown in side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1, the section line passingthrough the back and the seat, showing the back and seat as adjusted totheir extreme positions in one direction.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 2, showing the position ofthe seat and the locking means when the seat and back are in theirnormal position. i

This chair comprises, generally, a body, a

seat adj ustably mounted on the body, a back mounted on the body andadjustable into different angular relations relatively to the seat, theback having means coacting with the seat to change the position and theangular relation thereof during the angular adjustment of the back, andmeans for holding the back and the seat in their adjusted positions.

1 designates the body of the chair which may be of any desirable size,form and construction. 2 is the seat, and 8 is the back. The seat isfulcrumed at its front end on the body of the chair, and as here shownit is hinged at 1 on the upper edge of the front cross-bar 5 of the bodyof the chair.

The back 3 is provided with laterally extending pivots or trunnions 6near its lower end which enter suitable hearings in the body 1, or inuprights 7 forming extensions of the rear legs 8 thereof.

The means on the back for coacting with the seat 2 to change the angularposition of the seat about its axis 1 during the angular adjustment ofthe back, comprises an arm 9 extending below the axis 6 of the back andunder the rear end of the seat 2 into position to support the rear endof the seat, the seat slidably resting on said arm 9 so that during therearward movement of the back 3 about its axis 6, the arm 9 lifts therear end of the seat. Usually, there are two arms 9 which are extensionsof the side bars 10 of the back.

The pivots 6 are located above and in the rear of the seat when the seatis in its normal. position as seen in Fig. 1, and includes base plates11 secured by screws or otherwise to the side bars 10 of the back. Eachlifting arm 9 is formed with a forwardly extending hook or cam portion12 which eX- tends under the rear end of the seat 2 and on which therear end of the seat rests. During the rearward movement of the back 3,the end or toe 13 of the hook-shaped portion slides on the underside ofthe seat, as the back moves rearwardly and lifts the rear end of theseat, as shown in Fig. 2.

The back is moved rearwardly by the person sitting in the chair applyingpressure thereto after withdrawing the locking memher, to be presentlydescribed.

The means for holding the back and the seat in their adjusted positionsincludes two elements or parts, one'carried by the seat and the other bythe body and one being manually operable into and out of engagement withthe other. The locking part carried by the seat is manually operable inthe illustrated form of my invention, and consists of a sliding bolt 1 1movable forwardly and rearwardly of the seat and guided in suitableguides 15, 16 during its sliding movement. The locking element or partcarried by the body comprises a series of holes or sockets 1'? arrangedone above the other in position to receive the rear end of the bolt 14:.Said sockets or holes are formed partly in a face plate 18 mounted onthe rear cross-bar 18 of the chair, and partly in said cross-bar. Saidbolt is lo cated centrally of the seat and the series of socketscentrally of the cross-bar 18. The plate 18 terminates at its upper endin a forwardly extending flange 19 constituting a stop shoulder forpreventing overthrow of the bolt beyond the series of sockets 17 sotoward its operative position by a spring 22 coiled about the same andbearing at one end against the guide lug 1G and at its other end againsta shoulder 23 on the bolt. The bolt is operated to withdraw the sameagainst the action of the spring ZZZ-by means of a rock shaft 2 1 journaled in suitable bearings 25 on the underside of the seat 2 andhaving a rock arm 26 at one end which is connected by a link 27 to thebolt 14, and having at its other end an upwardly extending handle 28arranged within the reach of the sitter.

In operation, if the back 3 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, theoccupant operates the bolt 14 by pulling rea'rwardly on the handle 28,thus withdrawing the bolt 14: from the lowermost socket 117. He thenpermits the weight of his body to move the back 3 of the chairrearwardly and as the back 3 of the chair moves rearwardly, it alsolifts the rear end of the seat 2. When the desired position has beenreached, the handle 28 is released and the bolt 1 1 will enter thesocket 17 with which it is alined, the advance end of the bolt beingpointed for facilitating the finding of the socket by the bolt.

\Vhen the back is in an inclined position, and a more upright positionis desired, the bolt 14 is again operated and the occupant partiallylifts his body off the back 3 of the chair so that his weight on theseat aeting on the arms 9 will move the back forwardly on its pivotuntil the desired angle is reached.

What I claim is 1. In a chair, the combination of a body, a seatfulcrumed at its front end on the body, a back adjustable to differentangular posi tions relatively to the seat, the back having meanscoacting with the seat to raise and lower the rear end thereof duringbackward and forward adjustments of the back, and means for holding theback and the seat in their adjusted positions including a looking partcarried by the seat, a part fixed to the body for holding the same atdifferent elevations, and means carried by the seat for shifting one ofsaid parts into and out of engagement with the other, the shifting meansextending at one side of the seat within reach of the sitter,substantially as and for the purpose set forth 2. In a chair, thecombination or a body, a seat fulcrumed at its front end on the body, aback adjustable to difierent angular positions relatively to the seat,the back having means coacting with the seat to raise and lower the rearend thereof during'backward and forward adjustments of the back, andmeans of holding the back and the seat in their adjusted positions,comprising two elements, one a series of sockets carried by the body anda stop shoulder at the top of said series, and the other a locking boltcarried by the seat and movable into the socket with which it is broughtinto alinement by the movement of the seat by the back, means forwithdrawing one of said elements from the other, and means for limitingthe withdrawal of such element to prevent the bolt and the stop shoulderclearing each other, gubstantially as and for the purpose speci- 3. In achair, the combination of a body, a

seat fulcrumed at its front end on the body, a back pivoted to the bodyin the rear of and above the rear end of the seat, the back having alifting arm extending below its pivot and under the rear end of the seatand with which the seat is slidably engaged, and manually operable meansfor holding the back and the seat in their adjusted positions includinga member carried by the seat and an operating element for said member,carried by the seat andextending at one side of the seat within reach ofthe sitter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. In a chair, the combination of a body, a seat fulcrumed at its frontend on the body, a back pivoted to the body in the rear of and above therear end of the seat, the back having a lifting arm extending below itspivot and under the rear end of the seat and with which the seat isslidably engaged, and means for holding the back and the seat in theiradjusted positions including a series of sockets carried by the body atthe rear of the seat and arranged one above the other, and a manuallyoperable bolt carried by the seat and having its engaging end arrangedto be brought into alinement with anyone of the sockets during theangular adjustment of the back and the seat, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name at Oneida, in thecounty of Madison and State of New York, this 12th day of June, 1915.

CHARLES A. LEE.

